BY EVAN HENERSON >LA.COM

---

Charles Durning, an actor with more than 150 film and TV roles to his credit, was honored Sunday with the SAG Life Achievement Award. The actor, who turns 85 in February, is hardly easing into retirement. In addition to playing Dennis Leary's father for the past
three seasons on F/X's "Rescue Me," Durning is scheduled to appear in four movies due out in 2008.

"There's nothing more gratifying than having an achievement award from one's peers," he said. "It's impossible to thank all of the
people who have so gratefully wanted me to do what they wanted me to do."

Born in Highland Falls, New York, Durning broke into show business as a teen-ager. While ushering at a burlesque house, he was hired to replace a drunken "second banana on stage. He later spent 11 years as part of a ballroom dancing act, and tried his hand at being an elevator operator, cab driver, bartender, night watchman, boxer and
construction worker.

As a 21 year-old serviceman, Durning's regiment was one of the first to land at Omaha Beach during the D-Day invasion in 1944. He was wounded during the invasion and taken prisoner during the Battle of the Bulge. Durning earned three Purple Hearts and a Silver Star, but did not speak publicly about his wartime experiences until the 1994 National Memorial Day Concert.

During is an eight time Emmy nominee. He earned supporting actor Oscar nominations in 1982 for "To be or Not to Be" and in 1983 for "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas." He had never previously earned a SAG award nomination. The tribute made numerous references to the fact that Durning was repeatedly told "You haven't got it" in the early stages of his career. The actor said he considered leaving the business on numerous occasions, but his wife<WC>,<WC1> Mary Ann<WC>,<WC1> talked him out
of it.

"On many occasions, when I said I was ready to quit, she said, 'Yeah? And then what,'" Durning said.

Evan Henerson (818) 713-3651 evan.henerson@dailynews.com

---